List of Books Read as a Child: 1. The Lorax The Lorax was one of the very first books I read aloud to my mom. I remember struggling over a few of the words, but my mom encouraged me to keep reading. When I was done I remember her being so excited that I finally read my first book. This book will always be special to me, because my mom always encouraged me to push myself to be the best I can be and she never lets me quit, and this was one of the first moments that I remember feeling successful.
2. Goodnight Moon Every night when I was very young, my dad would read Goodnight Moon to me. It’s special to me because it gave me something to look forward to every night before I went to sleep. I think its important for parents to read to their children because that is where they can learn to develop a love of reading.
3. Guess How Much I Love You This book was special to me as a child because it taught me that love is endless. I read this book over and over as a child, and it never got old. When my godson was just learning how to read I used to read it to him, and now he can read it back to me. This book will always be special to me because of the memories I have from reading it.
4. The Help Me Be Good Series These books are a must have for every parent. There are 28 books total and every book has a different topic from tantrums to being careless. I remember every time I misbehaved as a child my mom wouldn’t punish me, but she would read me one of these books. Each book is set up the same way, children are misbehaving in some way, and throughout the story they learn a lesson as to why they shouldn’t act that way. These books were really easy to relate to when I was a child because I was able to put myself in most of the situations occurring. It also taught me how to differentiate between right and wrong.
5. The Giving Tree I remember my Grandma reading this book to me all the time when I was younger. I really loved it because even though I was so young I was able to understand the idea of love, and giving everything you have to someone you love. It amazed me and still does to this day that you can love someone or something so much that you would give everything you have for them.
6. Are You There God? Its Me Margaret This book was one of my favorites when I was growing up. Judy Blume does an amazing job depicting a typical girl going thorough middle school. This book touches on so many relatable topics from boys to growing up to fights with friends. I read this book for the first time when I was in sixth grade, and it really helped me see all sides of the struggles that most girls go through during middle school. It helped me realize that I wasn’t alone and I shouldn’t rush through my childhood.
7. Anne of Green Gables Anne of Green Gables is an amazing book, and I still read it to this day. I remember getting lost in the pages and falling in love with the characters in the story. Anne is a young girl who has this amazing imagination and dreams about being in love. Through out the book you see Anne’s struggles and get lost in her magical world. I used to just imagine myself in her shoes and I would find myself empathizing with her and showing the same emotions as she was. It was amazing that a book could get you to feel such emotions and find yourself realizing that the world is a huge place, and not everyone has the same life as you.
8. The Secret Garden The Secret Garden was another favorite of mine growing up. This book was one that I was unable to put down when I was reading it. I was so enchanted with the idea of the garden, and I was able to empathize with the characters and their struggles. The story has a lot of important lessons, and it is so relatable.
9. The Outsiders The Outsiders is a book I read in sixth grade. I can still picture myself sitting in my English class reading the story aloud. I loved this book because it takes you back to a completely different time, and there is a character that almost everyone can relate to in some way. There is a very drastic contrast in the book between the rich and the poor. It puts an emphasis on socioeconomic status and really brings some harsh topics to light.
10. Island of Blue Dolphins This book fascinated me. To this day I could remember reading this book and vividly imagining what it was like to be Karana, who is the main character. Karana loses everything she has but is determined to survive on this island. Throughout her stay on the island she learns to be compassionate and fearless. She has to fight to survive. She doesn’t have any family to depend on and makes friends with the wild dogs that live on the island. She is strong and empowered and it shows that you can do whatever you put your mind to if you never give up on yourself.
What literature should be taught in English Language Arts and why?
There is no right or wrong answer for what kind of literature should be taught in an English Language Arts classroom. There are so many grey areas and the curriculum for English standards are always changing. If we put such strict limits on the types of literature used in classrooms not every child would be learning, because not every child learns in the same way. I think a few different mediums should be used in classrooms. Some children learn better by reading and other children are visual learners. I think teachers should discuss this with their students so each child is learning to the best of their ability. Children should be encouraged to actively make decisions in the education process and what they are learning. They should feel that their English classroom is an open environment where everyone works together and they are free to discuss topics that interests them. I think the first successful step in teaching literature is to let the students know that their ideas, and beliefs are important. If a student is confident in what they think and feel, it will have an affect on their learning process and they will be more willing to participate and share their ideas. For the younger children ( grades 1-3) I think books that children can take away the lesson and incorporate it into their own lives, wether it is fighting with friends, bullying, making choices should be incorporated into the classroom. Children at this age are very impressional, so books that demonstrate right from wrong and teach valuable lessons, can have a huge impact on their development. Children at these grade levels should be encouraged to read inside and outside the classroom. Reading inside and outside the classroom shows the students that reading can be fun, and it’s not just for school or because you have to. Books such as The Help Me Be Good Series, and The Giving Tree would be good for younger children to read because they both have hidden lessons in them, and they’re fun to read at the same time. Children in higher grades such as 4-8 should be allowed to have a say in what books they read. Instead of the teacher selecting every book, they should be allowed to choose topics that interest them from a pre-approved reading list. These books should include topics and characters that older children are able to relate to, such as bullying, discrimination, fitting in, and puberty. Allowing the students to choose their own books could spark an interest in other topics. By letting the students choose topics they are interested in they are more willing to participate in group discussions and express their opinions. Some books I would choose for this age group would be The Secret Garden, Are You There God? Its Me Margaret, and The Outsiders.
Option One
List of Books Read as a Child:
1. The Lorax
The Lorax was one of the very first books I read aloud to my mom. I remember struggling over a few of the words, but my mom encouraged me to keep reading. When I was done I remember her being so excited that I finally read my first book. This book will always be special to me, because my mom always encouraged me to push myself to be the best I can be and she never lets me quit, and this was one of the first moments that I remember feeling successful.
2. Goodnight Moon
Every night when I was very young, my dad would read Goodnight Moon to me. It’s special to me because it gave me something to look forward to every night before I went to sleep. I think its important for parents to read to their children because that is where they can learn to develop a love of reading.
3. Guess How Much I Love You
This book was special to me as a child because it taught me that love is endless. I read this book over and over as a child, and it never got old. When my godson was just learning how to read I used to read it to him, and now he can read it back to me. This book will always be special to me because of the memories I have from reading it.
4. The Help Me Be Good Series
These books are a must have for every parent. There are 28 books total and every book has a different topic from tantrums to being careless. I remember every time I misbehaved as a child my mom wouldn’t punish me, but she would read me one of these books. Each book is set up the same way, children are misbehaving in some way, and throughout the story they learn a lesson as to why they shouldn’t act that way. These books were really easy to relate to when I was a child because I was able to put myself in most of the situations occurring. It also taught me how to differentiate between right and wrong.
5. The Giving Tree
I remember my Grandma reading this book to me all the time when I was younger. I really loved it because even though I was so young I was able to understand the idea of love, and giving everything you have to someone you love. It amazed me and still does to this day that you can love someone or something so much that you would give everything you have for them.
6. Are You There God? Its Me Margaret
This book was one of my favorites when I was growing up. Judy Blume does an amazing job depicting a typical girl going thorough middle school. This book touches on so many relatable topics from boys to growing up to fights with friends. I read this book for the first time when I was in sixth grade, and it really helped me see all sides of the struggles that most girls go through during middle school. It helped me realize that I wasn’t alone and I shouldn’t rush through my childhood.
7. Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is an amazing book, and I still read it to this day. I remember getting lost in the pages and falling in love with the characters in the story. Anne is a young girl who has this amazing imagination and dreams about being in love. Through out the book you see Anne’s struggles and get lost in her magical world. I used to just imagine myself in her shoes and I would find myself empathizing with her and showing the same emotions as she was. It was amazing that a book could get you to feel such emotions and find yourself realizing that the world is a huge place, and not everyone has the same life as you.
8. The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden was another favorite of mine growing up. This book was one that I was unable to put down when I was reading it. I was so enchanted with the idea of the garden, and I was able to empathize with the characters and their struggles. The story has a lot of important lessons, and it is so relatable.
9. The Outsiders
The Outsiders is a book I read in sixth grade. I can still picture myself sitting in my English class reading the story aloud. I loved this book because it takes you back to a completely different time, and there is a character that almost everyone can relate to in some way. There is a very drastic contrast in the book between the rich and the poor. It puts an emphasis on socioeconomic status and really brings some harsh topics to light.
10. Island of Blue Dolphins
This book fascinated me. To this day I could remember reading this book and vividly imagining what it was like to be Karana, who is the main character. Karana loses everything she has but is determined to survive on this island. Throughout her stay on the island she learns to be compassionate and fearless. She has to fight to survive. She doesn’t have any family to depend on and makes friends with the wild dogs that live on the island. She is strong and empowered and it shows that you can do whatever you put your mind to if you never give up on yourself.
What literature should be taught in English Language Arts and why?
There is no right or wrong answer for what kind of literature should be taught in an English Language Arts classroom. There are so many grey areas and the curriculum for English standards are always changing. If we put such strict limits on the types of literature used in classrooms not every child would be learning, because not every child learns in the same way. I think a few different mediums should be used in classrooms. Some children learn better by reading and other children are visual learners. I think teachers should discuss this with their students so each child is learning to the best of their ability. Children should be encouraged to actively make decisions in the education process and what they are learning. They should feel that their English classroom is an open environment where everyone works together and they are free to discuss topics that interests them. I think the first successful step in teaching literature is to let the students know that their ideas, and beliefs are important. If a student is confident in what they think and feel, it will have an affect on their learning process and they will be more willing to participate and share their ideas.
For the younger children ( grades 1-3) I think books that children can take away the lesson and incorporate it into their own lives, wether it is fighting with friends, bullying, making choices should be incorporated into the classroom. Children at this age are very impressional, so books that demonstrate right from wrong and teach valuable lessons, can have a huge impact on their development. Children at these grade levels should be encouraged to read inside and outside the classroom. Reading inside and outside the classroom shows the students that reading can be fun, and it’s not just for school or because you have to. Books such as The Help Me Be Good Series, and The Giving Tree would be good for younger children to read because they both have hidden lessons in them, and they’re fun to read at the same time.
Children in higher grades such as 4-8 should be allowed to have a say in what books they read. Instead of the teacher selecting every book, they should be allowed to choose topics that interest them from a pre-approved reading list. These books should include topics and characters that older children are able to relate to, such as bullying, discrimination, fitting in, and puberty. Allowing the students to choose their own books could spark an interest in other topics. By letting the students choose topics they are interested in they are more willing to participate in group discussions and express their opinions. Some books I would choose for this age group would be The Secret Garden, Are You There God? Its Me Margaret, and The Outsiders.